And these are what the perfect wild brown trout that come from this stream look like... and yes, that last one is from a small stream. That's why I love this stream. I call it home more than I call my house home.
And... this is what it looked like today:
I believe the words are "oh shit". I saw it very low last year, but this is half of that level. There are pools that are three feet deep in low water that I could step across right now. I just can't see how 10-20 inch browns and 8-14 inch brookies could still be in there. All it takes is a family of otters or a blue heron to eradicate them. I fear I just lost my favorite trout stream. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe, in November, the big brown trout will come out and I will find them working on making new brown trout. But I'm not sure that will happen
The only fish I caught today were a couple little fallfish, some salmon parr, and one dinky brown. I didn't so much as see a fish over six inches. God I hope I'm wrong....
It will workout RM. Some may be lost for sure. But, fish are resilient, and far more in tune with their environment than I, or you, or any human could be. They will have slid around the stream and found spring's, found the most sheltered spots and likely, slid down stream as water receded doing the same thing - seeking safe haven.
ReplyDeleteWhile this dry spell certainly is a tough one, and one that will have an impact... It's not like the late 80's yet.
Again, there could be an impact... But if there is, they will bounce back over a few years. Overall, I think they will surprise you in a good way though :)
I admire your confidence, and I sincerely hope you're right.
DeleteYour photos tell the story. I know you haven't had much rain, but that is low water. There must be something going on upstream. Sorry your stream is hurting,
ReplyDeleteTie, fish, write and photo on...
Thank you.
DeleteThat is unbelievable how low your home water is. I didn't even know it was possible for it to ever get like that, but then again it has been a solid month with no rain. While things do look quite grim, I do agree with Hibernation. Most likely a couple of browns and brookies found a way to survive against all odds in some spring seeps and under rocks, and as long as the water level rebounds some before the spawn, they should be able to spawn and begin the rebound for the population. As long as next summer isn't as dry, the stream should be all set. It's consecutive dry summers that cause a problem, but brookies can bounce back from something like this in as little as 2-3 years. I know some streams within 45 min of my house that lost an estimated 80 percent of their population a few summers ago, and they have rebounded.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too worried about the brook trout. I know they'll be fine. And I'm not worried about losing the stream permanently. I just don't know what I'll do without it for a couple of years. By the time it has fully recovered I will no longer be around to fish it.
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